The present invention relates to portable diagnostic ultrasound systems. In particular, a hand-held ultrasound system is provided.
Conventional ultrasound imaging systems typically include a hand-held transducer probe coupled by a cable to a large processing and display workstation. The transducer probe includes an array of ultrasonic transducers which transmnit and receive ultrasonic energy for imaging a patient. The received ultrasonic energy is converted to electric signals by the transducer and passed to the workstation. The workstation detects, filters and otherwise processes the information to generate a two- or three-dimensional representation of the scanned region. Limited mobility is provided by such systems. Typically, the ultrasound system is maintained in a specific location and patients are brought to the ultrasound system.
A more portable ultrasound system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,381, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The system shown in FIG. 11 of the '381 patent is designed to be carried by a single person, such as weighing less than 30 pounds. The system includes a large screen and full-size or close to full-size keyboard. The system is carried as a briefcase or package.
Additional portability is provided by one or more of the systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,957,846, 6,251,073, 5,817,024 and 6,383,139, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Different amounts of portability are provided. For example, one system includes a hand-held scan head coupled by a cable to a portable data processor and display unit, such as a laptop computer. Other systems include separate hand-held components including a small display screen and transducer components. In yet other embodiments, a small display screen connects with a transducer in a hand-held embodiment. FIG. 38 of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,846 shows a transducer 704 connected as a stethoscope to two speakers or audio transmitting tubes for insertion within the ears. A separate cord connects to a flat-panel display and user interface, such as a keypad or mouse control. However, these portable hand-held devices may perform poorly in unregulated environments, such as outside of a temperature and lighting controlled room.